“Shane’s a bedrock of this community and a pillar of the Valley since we came here,” the owner said in a July press conference. “I think we made the right hockey decision with Shane, I’m confident we did, but in retrospect — I should have flown out and met with him myself and told him that.

“And for that, I’m sorry. I apologize to Shane and the fans. I definitely could have done that better.”

The Coyotes released a statement concerning Doan’s retirement Wednesday morning:

“On behalf of the entire Arizona Coyotes organization, our fans and our corporate partners, we would like to thank Shane for everything that he’s done for our franchise over the past 21 years. Shane had an incredible career on the ice and we are very proud of everything that he accomplished in a Coyotes uniform. He will be remembered as one of the greatest captains in NHL history. Off the ice, Shane was a great ambassador for growing the game of hockey in Arizona and his contributions to the community are immeasurable. Shane will be a Coyote for life. Thank you Captain!”

The team’s official Twitter account also put out the following:

You believed in us when no one else believed.
And for that, we’ll be forever grateful.

Editor’s Note: Shane Doan will speak about his decision at 3 p.m. Wednesday when he joins 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station for the Burns and Gambo show. That interview can also be heard online or the 98.7 FM app.